5 Things You Need to Know About Google’s Android 5 “L”

June 25, 2014

4:45 pm

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Google unveiled its own operating system, Android 5 “L” today during the I/O developer conference in San Francisco (the rumor is that it will be called Lollipop but there’s no confirmation as of yet). Android lead Sundar Pichai took the stage and described the update as “one of the most comprehensive releases we’ve done.”

Specifically, the new OS will feature a more clear and consistent design of the UI across Android and web.

“We wanted to take a radical new approach to design,” says Pichai.

Mathias Duarte, vice president of design at Google, then presented tools that will help apps to move gracefully across platforms.

“Developers will be able to create seamless animation between activities and apps,” says Duarte.

2. Developers will have access to new animations and 3-D views with real-time shadows

Dave Burke, Director of Engineering at Android, showcased some of the features which include larger images, more color on smartphones, and a “ripple touch effect” with a blue circle fading in and out of the screen as the user presses the number.

3. Smarter notifications system and personal unlocking

Devices will have “interactive access” at the lock screen (no code required), and Android will analyze user behaviors and keep most important notifications at the top.

4. More battery life?

Battery Historian for developers will be available to give a sense of the impact on battery. There will also be Battery Saver that will automatically turn off tasks to save battery.

5. Protection and patches through Google Play

There will be a centralized setting for managing privacy settings as well as factory reset protection in case a user’s phone is stolen.

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Camila has been heavily active in South Florida’s tech startup community, where she is a co-host of a local radio show called pFunkcast. Camila previously worked at Greenpeace International and the Organization of the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in various communication roles. A proud Brazilian who spent most of he life in Peru, she is passionate about traveling and documentaries.